Strength in numbers: Large and permanent colonies have higher queen oviposition rates in the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, Mayr)
dc.contributor.author
dc.date.accessioned
2016-01-25T08:54:25Z
dc.date.available
2016-01-25T08:54:25Z
dc.date.issued
2014
dc.identifier.issn
0022-1910
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dc.description.abstract
Polydomy associated with unicoloniality is a common trait of invasive species. In the invasive Argentine ant, colonies are seasonally polydomous. Most follow a seasonal fission-fussion pattern: they disperse in the spring and summer and aggregate in the fall and winter. However, a small proportion of colonies do not migrate; instead, they inhabit permanent nesting sites. These colonies are large and highly polydomous. The aim of this study was to (1) search for differences in the fecundity of queens between mother colonies (large and permanent) and satellite colonies (small and temporal), (2) determine if queens in mother and satellite colonies have different diets to clarify if colony size influences social organization and queen feeding, and (3) examine if colony location relative to the invasion front results in differences in the queen's diet. Our results indicate that queens from mother nests are more fertile than queens from satellite nests and that colony location does not affect queen oviposition rate. Ovarian dissections suggest that differences in ovarian morphology are not responsible for the higher queen oviposition rate in mother vs. satellite nests, since there were no differences in the number and length of ovarioles in queens from the two types of colonies. In contrast, the higher δ15N values of queens from mother nests imply that greater carnivorous source intake accounts for the higher oviposition rates
dc.description.sponsorship
This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain, and EU ERDF funds (CGL2010-16451)
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application/pdf
dc.language.iso
eng
dc.publisher
Elsevier
dc.relation
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MICINN//CGL2010-16451/ES/LOS FORMICIDOS COMO INDICADORES DEL IMPACTO DE LA FRAGMENTACION, EXPLOTACION E INVASION DE LA HORMIGA ARGENTINA EN BOSQUES DE PINUS PINEA PINUS PINASTER./
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Reproducció digital del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.01.004
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© Journal of Insect Physiology, 2014, vol. 62, p. 21-25
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Articles publicats (D-CCAA)
dc.rights
Tots els drets reservats
dc.subject
dc.title
Strength in numbers: Large and permanent colonies have higher queen oviposition rates in the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, Mayr)
dc.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.rights.accessRights
info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
dc.embargo.terms
Cap
dc.date.embargoEndDate
info:eu-repo/date/embargoEnd/2026-01-01
dc.type.version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.doi
dc.identifier.idgrec
019168
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dc.relation.ProjectAcronym